Train in Glasgow

The amount of amazing gyms available here in Glasgow is amazing and I truly think there is a gym suited to everyone. I think a good gym doesn’t only have great equipment but is a place where you feel at home and click with the people who go there. Through my work I’ve had the privilege of visiting several gyms and studios and these are some of my favourites that I keep on going back to. To get to know the gyms a bit better I’ve linked to their websites if you click the name of the gym in the list. So here are my favourite places in Glasgow to get sweaty. This is only the beginning and I’ll be adding more so stay tuned!

This gem of a gym located in the Gorbals is owned and run by Stella Bartram who is very well-known and established in the Scottish fitness industry. Stella is very often on the radio discussing exercise and health and is an incredibly inspiring woman and with years of experience coaching and training people. In her gym she has open gym where you come in and just use the facilities and she has her functional fitness classes. These classes are designed to kick your bum into shape, you always leave feeling like you’ve given it your all, she expects no less. I love going here, the community in this gym is just incredible and the mix of people from different backgrounds and walks of life is fantastic. Everyone is super supportive and I can see and feel the change in my fitness since I started going here. I love this pace and can’t get enough.

CycleBox is a newish boxing and spin studio (you probably gathered that from the name) in Glasgow beautifully decorated in black and white. This little studio is kitted out with the best spin bikes you can find to make sure that you focus more on your workout and less on worrying about what gear you’re on. I have to admit, I’ve not a massive spin fan but I love boxing so this combo for me is amazing. The owners and coaches Gwen and Mandy manage even to make me like the spin part of the class with their infectious enthusiasm and passion for what they do. The classes I’ve gone to you cycle for the first part and then you move onto the strength and boxing bit for a full body workout. The music is always incredible and if you don’t leave sweaty, you haven’t worked hard enough, simple as that. There are also classes that are only cycling for the spin enthusiasts out there.

The gym at Glasgow University reopened after it’s major refurbishment in my final year of university. I love the spacious facilities and how bright it is from the massive windows throughout. The gym is kitted out for functional training and you will find me on the lower floor in the weights area either by the squat racks or free weights. Before the refurbishment there was only one squat rack in the entire building if I remember correctly! Now there are about ten, quite the difference. This is a big gym with loads of members (students, staff and community can buy a membership) so the community feel is not quite there like the other gyms on this list but you see some familiar faces and sometimes it’s nice to go in by yourself and be in your training zone undisturbed. It’s a great gym with good opening hours so definitely worth checking out.

When I was at university I was part of the Muay Thai club and absolutely loved it. The guys behind this relatively new gym were our coaches and they were really much fun and motivating during the classes. I was so happy to find out they’d gone and opened their own space where they have a mix of Muay Thai, functional fitness and conditioning training classes. The space is huge and they even have a coffee bar, TV game room and table tennis table. You could practically spend all day in here training and just chilling about. The community is awesome and like Stella’s it’s a mix of abilities.

Fly Functional Fitness is found in the Anderston area and was started by the two awesome guys David and Ross. They are the first gym in Scotland to have an assault bike class. If you’ve never tried an assault bike, it’s certainly an experience. They are designed to give you more resistance the harder you pedal, slightly evil I know. Other than that they focus mainly on functional fitness training and have incredible coaches who cheer you on throughout the classes. Everyone there is super friendly and help each other out, which I love.

Not a gym but instead an incredible yoga studio. Beautiful Kali Collective is my favourite yoga studio in Glasgow. Their classes very from strong power yoga and power vinyasa (these classes make you sweat big time!) to gentle vinyasa and yoga nidra. The studio is nice and spacious and there is always tea on the go to keep you nice cosy before or after your class. Usually the classes are packed and the community is amazing. There’s a little shop corner in the studio selling delicious Chaibaba tea (it’s a Canadian tea owner Steph brings back from her visits back home), stunning necklaces and delicious wholesome treats such as raw chocolate. They put on lots of great workshops you can sign up for too. If you’re a yoga newbie there are foundation classes to help you get started.

I may be partial since I used to work here and it’s basically my second home here in Glasgow but I love the lululemon showroom. Every weekend in the showroom they have a complimentary class on Saturdays at 9.45am (it’s on a first come first served basis arrive early as it can get super busy!) and on Sundays, Sweaty Sundays is on at 10am, which is a sweatier and more high intensity workout. The classes are led by incredible instructors from all over Glasgow and it’s amazing to see how many inspiring people there are out there who lead these classes. Glasgow is full of awesome coaches! During my time at uni I loved coming in every Saturday and Sunday to get my workouts and stretches in (and still do!). I love all the people who go to these classes and the girls who work there are some of the best people I’ve ever met.

CrossFit is something I’ve really come to love. It’s like I’ve found my place in the fitness world and what my body and mind loves to do. Other than going to G5 for CrossFit another gym I always get a great vibe from is Unit4 CrossFit. The owners Bobby and Paul and all of their coaches are just amazing. The moment you set foot in their box you feel welcome and it is not at all intimidating as a lot of people might think going to a CrossFit box is. They are all about making sure you get the right technique in and will always find alternatives for you to make sure you get the best out of your training if you can’t do a certain movement. A big bonus is their gym dog Maggie!